KINSHASA, Oct 05, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Up to 263 Congolese were repatriated from Tanzania over the weekend by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), bringing the number of the returnees from the eastern neighbor to 63,563, an official of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said.

The 263 Congolese refugees from Lugufu 2 refugee camp in Tanzania were brought back by UNHCR to the port of Mushimbakye in Baraka in the Fizi territory, approximately 30 km from Uvira.

Each of the returnees received food stuffs, kitchen utensils, ploughing implements and a shelter in the area, according to Frederic Salumu, an official in charge of repatriation at the National Commission for Refugees (NCR) in Uvira, the second biggest town of South Kivu province in the DRC.

With the weekend repatriation, one of the refugee camps in Tanzania will be closed down, Salumu told reporters.